Thanks so much for reviewing! Here's the next chapter, and I think there will be another chapter or two after this, whew. If I make it to nine, it'll be my longest ever. But in order to do that, I need reviews! Come on people, step up to the challenge! Haha, please review. Thanks.
Disclaimer: Um, so they aren't mine. Not even a little bit mine. And this small fact makes me cry myself to sleep every night.
Monica took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on Richard's door. He pulled it open and looked absolutely shocked to see her standing there.
"Hi," was all that he said, and then he smiled at her. "Thanks for coming." But when she didn't smile back, his smile faltered a bit.
"Can I come in?" She asked and he nodded and held the door open for her.
"Sure, want a drink? Scotch on the rocks?" He hurried over to the bar and she shook her head.
"No. I don't want a drink," she said. She sat on the corner of the couch trying to form the words in her head. She didn't know what to say to him, and when he had opened the door, instantly she had known that it had been a terrible idea in coming there. Why hadn't she listened to Chandler? What had possessed her to come over here? Seeing him, it just made things harder, it just made things more confusing. She hated him, right? She was so angry with him that she couldn't see straight. But then again, he was Richard. She loved him.
Maybe that was the worst part. You can't get hurt by someone who you don't love, she reminded herself.
Chandler had told her not to get hurt anymore. How she wanted to listen to him. That had one of the last things he had said before she left. The very last thing he had said was,
"Monica, give him hell." Something that had made her laugh a little. He could always make her laugh.
"God Mon, I'm so sorry."
"Right," she nodded. "You're sorry. How long were you sleeping with her?" There were things that she needed to know. There was a reason that she had come there. There was a reason that she was putting herself through this.
"Monica."
"No, I need to know, Richard. How long was this going on? And did you really think that you wouldn't get caught?"
"Monica."
"Answer my question. I think I deserve that at least. I think at the very least I deserve an honest answer." She needed to know, but she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know, and there was the difference.
"Three months," he muttered finally answering her question, and unable to look her in the eye. Three months? He had been cheating on her for three months? How had she not known? How had she not realized? They had only been together for a little less than a year, that meant that she had only been good enough for him for a little less than nine months.
"Richard....I need to go," she said suddenly jumping to her feet and grabbing her jacket to run out of the room. "I need to not see you. I need to not hear from you. Please don't call me. Please don't ever try to call me."
"Monica...."
"Don't." She put her hand up to stop him.
"I just...I don't want this ruined I don't want us ruined."
"You should have thought of that when you slept with someone else."
"I wasn't thinking."
"Clearly," she replied sarcastically. Sighing, she rubbed her temples. What had she been thinking coming over here? She knew that it would end badly, she knew that she should have done this over the phone. Because looking at him, seeing his face, seeing that he was sorry, it was too much. It was too much for her to handle.
"Is this over for good?" The question was asked so softly that she almost missed it.
"I think so," she told him and there was no anger in her voice. "And you have no one to blame but yourself for it." Leaning forward, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
"Do you hate me?" He sounded like a five year old and she pitied him. She actually pitied him. She hadn't thought it possible only minutes ago, but he looked....he looked old. He looked every bit of his fifty odd years.
"No, Richard. I have no emotions to spare to hate you right now." It was the truth. She was angry. She was sad, she was unbelievably sad. And there was no room left to hate. Hating took far too much energy. She closed the door behind her and stood there for a moment trying to calm herself down.
"Damn it," she thought to herself. "I forgot my gloves." Turning back around, she knocked on the door and walked inside. Richard was sitting on the couch and his shoulders were heaving and she felt what was left of her shatter.
"Monica?" He asked looking up.
"I forgot my gloves....I...." He was so upset about losing her. Didn't that count for anything? Couldn't she....couldn't she maybe give him another chance? Wasn't that why she had gone over there? To give him another chance? Couldn't they start slowly again? Date? And then go back to the way that they were?
But she knew. She knew that they could never go back to the way that they were. There was just no way. And she couldn't forgive him. It hurt too much. And there was always.....there was always Chandler. He was always a factor. Because though she would never admit it to him, she had always harbored a little fantasy towards him. He was her best friend. She loved him. And she was starting to think there for awhile that she might have been in love with him. And then she met Richard and they started to date and Chandler was pushed from her mind, as he should be. Because they were friends. And that was it.
But now....he had been so good to her. He had been so sweet and supportive, and....she needed to talk to him. She needed to finally confess, and now that she was single there was nothing holding her back.
"Mon....I....."
"Don't." She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the couch and took his hand. "I can't forgive you. I can't....but I don't hate you. Okay?" And she stood up and walked out the apartment. She hit the elevator button and when it took too long, she gave up and headed towards the stairs.
"Monica! Wait," Richard said coming out of his apartment, and she spun around from her perch on the landing to face him.
And to her horror, and to his, she lost her balance, and all she remembered was him reaching out his hands to her to try to stop her from falling.
Monica felt a strong arm around her and it took her a minute to remember what she had done. And instead of being appalled at her fast action, she grinned. She was in Chandler's arms. This was where she was meant to be.
"Good morning," Chandler whispered into her hair.
"Good morning," she said grinning and turning around to face him. He ran a hand over her cheek and leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Sleep good?"
"The best sleep I've had in months," she told him honestly. "Well, you know, you did tire me out pretty good before hand." He laughed and pulled her closely to him.
"That I did," he replied. He couldn't believe it himself. Monica. Monica Geller. He had slept with Monica Geller. And she was still there in the morning. She was still there in his arms, and she was making no action to move from there.
"Not that I didn't enjoy it," she smiled at him.
"Would I be out of line if I told you that I loved you with everything that I am?" He asked looking her in the eye. "I know that I'm the commitment phobic Chandler, but I....I've loved you so much longer than you'll ever know, and I just...I can't believe that t his is happening to me. Because you are the girl of my dreams, and I assumed that was where you would stay. In my dreams." Kissing his chin lightly, she smiled at him.
"I'm right here," she whispered.
"I know." And they laid there silently for a few more moments before she broke the silence.
"I guess I should be getting up soon," she said sighing. More than anything she didn't want to have to leave his arms. But all their friends would be coming over soon for breakfast and they would have a lot of explaining to do.
"Do we have to?" He asked.
"I think we do," she responded giggling. "Listen, I'm going to make you whatever you want for breakfast. Anything. The world is your oyster, Chandler." Laughing, he thought about it for a moment.
"You."
"What?"
"I want you for breakfast," he murmured into her neck. Not being able to help herself, a grin spread itself over her face.
"Seriously, everyone will be here soon. What do you want for breakfast?"
"Blueberry pancakes?" He asked.
"Sure," she threw her legs over the side of the bed and wrapped a robe around her body and leaned down to give him another kiss. "I'm going to go hop in the shower and then I'll run down to the store and get blueberries."
"You don't have to," he reminded her.
"I know, but I want to. I want to make you a fantastic breakfast," she assured him and he watched her walk out of the room and close the door behind her. Sighing, he reluctantly extracted himself from the tangle of sheets and hurried to his apartment before he was spotted.
Monica was walking on cloud nine as she made her way to the small corner store. She was even whistling. And she never whistled.
And she didn't see the car coming. She didn't see it run the red light and speed through the intersection.
She didn't see it until it was too late.
~Ohhh, cliffhanger time. In order for you to know what is going to happen, you must, I repeat must, review. Will she be okay in either universe? Will she die in both universes? What will happen?!?! Okay, I'm done being mean now. Please review. Thanks!~
